On December 26, 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Climate Change Superfund Act (“CCSA” or the “Act”) into law. The law requires certain fossil fuel producers and refiners with sufficient connections to New York...more
From the outset, key goals of the incoming Trump Administration have been: supporting fossil fuel development, ending incentives for renewable energy and energy transition, removing burdensome environmental regulations and...more
In California's continuing war on businesses, a legislator recently introduced a bill to enact the "Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025", AB 1243 (Addis). This bill would establish the a program to be administered by...more
As climate adaptation and mitigation costs escalate, a wave of state climate superfund legislation is emerging across the United States. This novel approach to climate accountability, pioneered by Vermont and New York,...more
A number of the new administration’s executive actions are intended to implement a significant shift in energy and environmental policy, including the following, all issued on January 20, 2025. “Unleashing American Energy”...more
The executive order aims to expedite energy projects, boost domestic production, and strengthen U.S. energy independence through streamlined regulatory reforms. On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued the “Declaring a...more
To nobody’s surprise, it is already evident that President Trump’s second term will mark a significant shift in environmental regulation and policy from the Biden Administration. This article marks the first in a where we...more
On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. On his first day in office, President Trump signed various executive orders effectuating administrative and policy changes across the...more
On the evening of the second inauguration of President Trump, the White House released a flurry of executive orders on a wide range of subjects. Several of them specifically concerned energy and the environment. The general...more
This client alert provides a brief overview of President Biden’s recent decision to expand the ban on offshore oil and gas leasing, outlining its background, scope, and potential impact on the energy industry. Key...more
On January 6, President Biden announced an executive action affecting offshore drilling prior to the end of his term. Biden has issued a decree that will “permanently ban” new offshore oil and gas development in large...more
The last several weeks of unexpected and unprecedented political events have thrown even more confusion into the presidential election. While the outcome of a now Harris-versus-Trump race is maybe even more uncertain, we do...more
Regulatory Updates - Governor Newsom (D-CA) recently proposed a two-year delay to California’s sweeping new mandatory climate disclosures, which apply to all large companies—public or private—doing business in California....more
Our national climate goals of net zero emissions, renewable energy transition, electrified vehicle fleets, clean steel, green hydrogen, and the rest of the package focus on the ramp-up of clean energy sources and end uses. As...more
On July 25, 2023, Representative Ted Lieu and 19 other Democratic lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting that the Department of Justice...more
The UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently released its 2023 statutory report, evaluating the UK’s progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting carbon reduction targets. This report, mandated by the...more
On July 31, 2023, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an executive order ending the use of fossil fuels in new construction and major renovations of city-owned buildings. Although city buildings comprise a small percentage of...more
On June 13, 2023, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security held a hearing on the “Oversight of FERC: Adhering to a Mission of Affordable and Reliable Energy for America.” The hearing...more
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing actions to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new and existing fossil-fuel-fired power plants in a bid to expedite the U.S. clean energy transition....more
“Electrification” has become a ubiquitous term these days, although depending on who you ask, it might have different meanings. However defined, a critical component of electrification as a policy choice to reduce reliance on...more
During a pandemic paper purge, I found a corporate newsletter showing me and my boss, George David, then CEO of United Technologies Corporation, at the Earth Technologies Forum admiring a display captioned “Why is UTC a...more
A recently-issued multi-agency report highlights a path for the U.S. government to replace fossil fuel-based jet fuel with renewable sources to address climate change and encourage infrastructure development. The U.S....more
The United States Supreme Court recently issued its long-awaited opinion in West Virginia v. EPA, significantly restricting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) authority to combat climate change and regulate carbon...more
The House Financial Services Committee has approved the Climate Risk Disclosure Act of 2021. The bill now heads to the House floor....more
Fulfilling one of his central campaign promises, President Biden signed a wide-ranging Executive Order last week addressing climate change through energy, infrastructure, national security, foreign affairs, and social justice...more